Goa Congress holds demonstration, demanding Parrikar’s resignation

Panaji, Dec 8: As part of the “Jan Aakrosh” agitation launched by the Congress Party in Goa, hundreds of Congress workers with the support of NGO’s and social workers of Bardez Taluka, marched at the Taluka administration office of Bardez at Mapusa in North Goa on Friday.

The demonstration under the leadership of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar and Congress leaders, including Tivim MLA Nilkant Halarnkar, former Deputy Chief Minister and former Union Minister Ramakant Khalap, North Goa District President Vijay L Bhike and party spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar among others, raised slogans to condemn the 'collapsed administration' and law and order in the state. The Goa desk in-charge of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Dr A Chellakumar was also present.

The demonstrators sung adaptation of the Konkani folk song “Aiz yetelo falaya yetelo pavon pavon pavona” in front of Deputy Collectors’ Office amidst loud clapping and cheering to condemn the alleged absence of the Chief Minister from the administrative scene in the state. GPCC President Girish Chodankar and Tivim legislator Nilkant Halarnkar alleged that the Deputy Collector's office was taking undemocratic stand. The Tivim MLA alleged that the District Administration under the Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte had totally collapsed and people were facing acute problems to resolve their matters in the Mamlatdar and Collector Offices.

''Let alone the people, but also MLAs are facing problems with the administration to get work done of their constituents. This has never been the case during the Congress rule,'' he claimed.

The demonstration culminated into a gathering opposite the Fish Market. Social Workers Sudesh Tivrekar of the Mapusa Peoples Union, Shankar Kanolkar of the Sirsaim Tourist Taxi Association, Sanjay Barde of the Bodgeshwar Shetkari Association, activists Rajan Ghate, Mrs Nazima Shaikh and others spoke on the occasion.

GPCC President Girish Chodankar claimed that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was not in a position to speak, to have meetings or even to sign any paper. Stating that the administration was in a very precarious state and governance was in danger, he sought to know who were the officials running the administration wearing a mask of the Goa Chief Minister.

He also demanded that the Chief Minister should hoist the flag on December 19, Goa Liberation Day, failing which the Congress would hold a mammoth rally at Lohia Maidan on December 20.

Addressing the gathering, Advocate Ramakant Khalap said it was laughable that the ministers were themselves saying in front of the media that they were not going to the secretariat.

''What is being cleared is only the big files like of the Investment Promotion Board where big money is involved and people’s needs are being neglected,'' he alleged and demanded that the Chief Minister should be sensitive towards the needs of the people and resign from the post at least by December 19. (UNI)